Adjustable seat



Nov. 4, 1941. J. A. LAwLl-:R

ADJUSTABLE SET 2 SheetsSheet l Filed Jan. 9, 1939 NVENTOR ORNE 5.

BY 726% H b/ ary/er.'

.P y A T u NOV 4, 1941. J, LAWLER 2,261,728

. ADJUSTABLE SEAT l Filed han. 9, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 2 ESQ N @E Jg Hl/VTOR BY @JQ/Clam@- A TTORNE Ys. l

Patented Nov. 4, 1941 ADJUSTABLE sEA'r Jack Lawler, Franklin, Mich., assignor." to4 Marvel Equipment Corporation, Detroit', Mich.,

aV corporation offlVIichigan Application. January 9, 1939, Serial No. 249,906

8 Claims.

This invention relates to seat structures for vehicle bodies and particularly the bodies of motor vehicles. The invention is especially useful in connection with adjustable seats for automobiles, such as the front seats thereof, wherein it is desirable, for example, not only to elect adjustments ofthe seat in a longitudinal direction with respect to the steering Wheel and control pedals but also to adjust the height of the seat.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means whereby the seat. may be adjusted longitudinally with respect tothe vehicle and also vertically in response to the longitudinal adjustments.

Another object is to provide a longitudinally adjustable seat and means operable in response to the longitudinal movements of the seat and controlled thereby for effecting vertical movement of the seat.

A further object is to provide an adjustable seat of the foregoing character which is simplied and economical in construction, durable, compact and eicient in use.

Other objects. of this invention Will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanyingA drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designatecorrespon'ding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a seat structure embodying the present invention. Y

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the seat structure showing the seat in one position of adjustment.

Fig. 3V is a fragmentary side elevation, somewhat similar to Fig. 2, but on a smaller scale, H

illustrating another. position of adjustment of the seat.

Fig. 4 isa horizontal section taken substantially through lines 4 4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, the View being taken on a reduced scale.

Fig. `5 is ak vertical section taken substantially through lines 5--5of Fig. 2 looking'inthe direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a verticalv section taken substantially through lines 5 6V of Fig. 2 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Before explaining in detail the present inven tion itis to be understood that the invention is notY limited in its application to the details of con-r struction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying. drawings, since the invention is vcapable off other embodiments and of being practiced' or carried out in various Ways., Alsoit is .to be Vunderstood that:` the phraseology or 5 5 pant :to a-djust itsposition inalongitudinaldi;v r

terminology employed herein is ffor 'the purpose of description and-not ofy limitation, andit.is not intendedI to limit' the` invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art. In the drawings' there is illustrated, by way of example, one embodiment of-Lthe present invention as applied to anadjustable front seat Afor an automobile. body., It will be'understood,however,v that the invention inits broader aspects issusceptible of other adaptations. ture, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,.comprises an upholstered seat cushion I0 and an upholstered back cushion II carried by asuitable base frame. I2. I2 at each lateral side of the seat is a metallic guide channel I3. Each channel I3 comprises. a vertical web terminating; at its lower edge in anV inturned flange I3a. has a relatively Wide top flange I3b which is secured tov the bottom of the frame I3 as by means of bolts .and nutsA I4. Extended laterally from; the flange I3b at the front end of each channel I3 and formed integrally therewith is a rack member I5 having a series of spaced holes I5a.

Mountedupon the floor F of the vehicle body are a pair of spaced inverted channel members IISy y which are secured to the floor and which extend in parallelismadjacen't opposite sidesof the seat' structure. The seat at each lateralside thereof is-supported through the'medium'of a pair of upright. supporting members I'If and I8 which are. spaced apart in a longitudinal direction,.each of thesesupporting members being in the form of a` channel securely fastened, as by spot welding, to the base members I5. Attached, as by spot welding, to the inner face of each ofthe upright sup-l ports I1 adjacent the front of the seat. is a generally Z-shaped bracket I9 having van upward y extension I9a apertured to receive a cross` shaft 2| having teeth projecting intothe rack holes I5a Thus, the. forward end. ofthe seat isy slidingly supported upon the of the rack members I5.

spaced uprights I'I through the mediumof the: gears-2l meshing with the racks I5 and con'- nectedtogether for rotation in unison` through'v i the medium of theequalizer shaftrZll.r ,I In the present instancethe rear end: of the seat is supported lfor adjustment in a vertical direction in responseto the forwardfand rear- .Wardftravelof theseat whenmoved by' the occu- The seat struc-y .Extending longitudinally of the base framev The channel, in addition,

mounted for rotation upon a stud or pin 26 secured to the outer end of the arm 22a. Each roller 25 engages and travels within a correspondingly shaped guide channel or groove I3 c rolled or formed in the upper flange Il3b of thechannel guide I3. Each lever 22 has an angularly and preferably forwardly extending longer arm 22b having at its end an eye or aperture within which is attached the hooked or bent end of a rod or` link 21. The forward end of each rod or link 21 is bent inwardly for releasable attachment within any one of a series of holes or apertures 28 in an angle bracket 29 spot welded to the I3a of the guide channel I3.

A return spring 30 of the tension type is utilized for the purpose of assisting in moving the seat in a forward direction. This spring has its rear end-connected to an angle bracket 3| secured to the bottom of the seat frame I2 and its forward end secured at 32 to the upright supporting member I1. Thus, when the seat is in its normal rearward position the spring is under tension and upon releasing the seat for forward adjustmentV the spring will -assist in moving the seat forwardly.

The seat may be latched or locked in any one of its adjusted positions -by means of a latch device or dog cooperable with one of the gears 2|. The locking mechanism comprises a suitable handle 33 having a bent portion 33a.` journalled within a bracket 34 secured to one of the uprights I1. The rod 33 ofthe operator is bent around the upright I1 as at 33h and is `provided with a Vertical latch member 35 adapted to fit.

into any one of the spaces between the teeth of the gear 2I.

bottom flange- The handle 33 is normally heldinl locking position by means of a tension spring' Thus, by. lifting`the handle 33 the latch I `tical movements of the rollers.

member 35 will be withdrawn from the gear 2| y thereby permitting the seat to be shifted for-i wardly or rearwardly upon the pairs' of gears 2I I and rollers 25'. The spring 36 will automatically s return the latch 35 to its latching position upon I releasing the handle 33.

In Fig. 3 the seat is illustrated inits rearwardf55 a corresponding movement of the links 21 thereby swinging the arms 22b.of the levers 22 forwardly position of adjustment by connecting the forward ends of the links 21 in any one of the holes 28. It will be apparent that by changing the point of connection of the link 21 with the bracket 29 the lever 22 will be rotated slightly to elevate or lower the roller 25 and provide a corresponding vertical adjustment for the seat at any given position thereof. Thus, a very simple, eflicient and positive means for raising and lowering the seat in response to the longitudinal travel thereof is provided by virtue of the present invention and a wide range of adjustments is thus achieved.

In the present embodiment only the rear end of the seat is shown as supported by the rollers 25 for vertical movement in response to the ver- However, the invention contemplates the provision of substantially a similar set of lever supported rollers at the front end of the seat either alone or in conjunction with the set of rollers 25 herein shown. The rollers at the front may be mounted in the same manner except that the bell crank levers can be reversed and the links 21 extended rearwardly to apertured brackets 29 near the rear ends of the guides I3. Hence, when the seat is slid forwardly or rearwardly the two sets of rollers will be simultaneously elevated or lowered thereby raising or lowering the entire seat bodily.

I claim: 4

1. In a seat structure, a seat, xed supporting means below the seat, longitudinal guides on the bottom of the seat at opposite sides thereof, rollers adapted to engage said guides and support the seat, bell crank levers carrying said rollers and pivoted on the supporting means, and links connecting the bell crank levers to the seat.

2. A seat structure according to claim 1 comprising means for adjusting said links to adjust angularly the levers.

3. In a seat structure, a seat, 'means supporting said seat for longitudinal travel therealong including a fixed support below the seat, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the support for swinging movement, a roller mounted at one end of the lever and operatively engaging the seat, and Va link extending longitudinally Yof the seat and connecting the opposite end of the lever with the seat and adapted to swing the lever to impart vertical movement to the roller and to the seat in response to longitudinal travel of the seat.

4. In a seat structure, a seat, means supporting said seat for longitudinal travel therealong including a fixed support below the seat, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the support for swinging movement, a roller mounted at the the seat, and a link extending longitudinally of the seat and connecting the lower end of the about the pivots 23 and consequently rocking the shorter arms 22a of the levers upwardly. This i action results in elevating the rollers 25 at opposite sides of the seat and thus raising the rear end of the seat as it travels forwardly, the seat at the same time being supported upon the rollers 25 which provide an anti-friction medium to facilitate sliding movement of the seat. Vice versa, when the seat is shifted rearwardly from its position of Fig. 2 the links 21,moving rearwardly in an endwise direction," will turn the lbell crank levers 22 so as to lower the rollers 25 whereby the rear end of the seatv will be lowered in a corresponding manner. It will also be seen that l the supporting rollers 25 may be set in any vgiven lever with the seat and adapted to swing the lever to impart vertical movement to the roller and to the seat in response to longitudinal travel of the seat.

5. In a seat structure, a seat, means supporting said seat for longitudinal travel therealong including a xed support below the seat, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the support for swinging movement, a .roller mounted at one end of the lever and operatively engaging the seat,

a link extending longitudinally of the seat and connecting the opposite end of the lever with the seat and adapted to swing the lever to impart vertical movement to the roller and to the seat in response to longitudinal travel of the seat, and means whereby the range of vertical movement of the roller may be varied.

6. In a seat structure, a seat, means supporting said seat for longitudinal travel therealong including a xed support below the seat, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the support for swinging movement, a roller mounted at the upper end of the lever and operatively engaging the seat, a link extending longitudinally of the seat and connecting the lower end of the lever with the seat and adapted to swing the lever to impart vertical movement to the roller and to the seat in response to longitudinal travel of the seat, and means for initially varying the position of said link whereby the range of vertical movement of the roller may be varied.

7. In an adjustable seat structure, a seat, supporting means for the seat permitting fore and aft longitudinal travel thereof and including roller means upon which the rear end of the the rear end of the seat is adapted to travel, a

lever pivoted on the support and carrying one of said roller means, a connection between the lever and seat eiective to swing the lever and impart vertical movement to the roller means andthe seat in response to longitudinal movement of the seat is adapted to travel, means connected to 20 seat, and means for varying longitudinally the point of connection between said lever and seat.

JACK A. LAWLER. 

